Factionless

Chapter Nine: Joslyn's point of view

We were taking a short break from the meeting. Royal was being vague about everything, as usual, and I was in a terrible mood. "You can't be in the same room with Royal for too long, all by yourself, okay, Josy?"Vidya's words flew back to me and I stopped where I was. I had been on my way back to the meeting room. No one would be in there for another ten minutes but I decided that standing here in the hall was much better.

"Hey, Josy," a voice called out from behind me. I turned around as slowly as I dared to find golden eyes staring into mine from just a few inches away.

"Whoa, how'd she do that? Royal isn't exactly the quietest person in the world and I always know when someone's behind me. Freaky," I thought, but I said: "Hey, Royal. Going back to the conference room?"

"No, actually I was looking for you," her gold eyes were dead serious. How was it, after three years, that those eyes still struck terror into me?

"Um, why?" I asked. You could never be too careful with Royal. Best find out her motives now instead of suffering the consequences later.

"I want to talk to you, Josy," she made it sound extremely obvious, but Royal wasn't always obvious.

"Okay, Roy," I said, teasingly using her nickname.

"In here, come on," she dragged me into a room. "Another conference room? How many of these are in the compound? I really need a map..."

She sighed and sat on the table. "Observations?" She asked me.

"Uh, you aren't telling the truth, you only brought three other people which means you trust us, and you're here instead of Reagan," I said. "Mind telling me where she is, Roysie?"

Royal glared at me. Okay, so maybe I'd crossed the line. She really only let Vidya call her Roysie. "Oh shoot," I thought looking into her golden eyes which had a look of murder in them. "I did it. She's gonna kill me." I backed away towards the door.

"Reagan isn't here because she's sick," Royal said. "And I'd like it if you didn't tell anybody that." Her eyes seemed to go straight through me. "Got it, Joslyn?"

I nodded; I wasn't really ready to die. "What about the three people?"

"Oh, I have plenty more. They just aren't showing themselves." She grinned at me. "And the truth? We aren't helping the Factionless in any way whatsoever."

I let out a breath of relief. "And the treasury plans?"

"Oh, those!" She laughed, "Those were the most fun to draw up. Are there any cameras in here?"

"No, this conference room is, obviously, never used; no cameras," I said.

She nodded, looking serious now. "Reagan is dying," she said.

Staring I shook my head. "Liar," I said. "Royal always lies. She's doing it now. It's a mind game. Don't fall for it, Josy!" I instructed myself.

"I'm not lying, Joslyn. She has...a odd disease of some sort. Got when she was..." Royal looked uncertain of herself. "Traveling or something."

I looked at my watch and noticed my whole arm shaking. "Knock it off," I snapped to myself. "No weakness in front of Royal."

"It's time to go back now, Josy," she said. "What should I say?"

I looked up at her. "This is so weird. Royal is never uncertain."  I thought, but I ignored it. Reagan was dying. "Keep lying," I whispered. "If I didn't know you, I'd think that you were telling the truth."

She beamed at me. "Thanks, Josy. Let's go now," she walked out the door.

I followed slowly. Reagan was dying, and Vidya didn't know.